Shuttle-moving mechanism for schiffli embroidery apparatus



2 ge? @han Sept. 24, 1963 T. BoHUs 3,104,635

SHUTTLE-MOVING MECHANISM FOR SCHIFFLI EMBROIDERY APPARATUS Filed June29, 1962 United States Patent `O 3,104,635 SHUTTLE-MOVING MECHANISM FORSCHIFFLI EMBROIDERY APPARATUS Theodore Bohus, 7024 Durham Ave., NorthBergen, NJ. Filed June 29, 1962, Ser. No. 206,223

4 Claims. (Cl. 112-95) each needle is -guided on a shuttle-box which ismountedv on a horizontally-fixed shuttle box-supporting har and isprovided with a shuttle-supporting face that is disposed in a plane thatis transverse to the shuttle box-supporting surface of the bar and is ata slight yangle td a plane perpendicular to that surface. The shuttlesare each reciprocated on their sloping supporting surface in an upward`direction hy a drive pin engaging its bottom and held in place on ahorizontally-disposed har that is reciprocated along an angle parallelto the shuttle-supporting faces. The apparatus is also provided withmeans that Vwill assure the downward or return movement of the shuttleto initial position, by its own weight, and that such return will not beinterrupted by binding against the shuttle-supporting or adjacentsurfaces.

yIn the Schifi embroidering machines of the prior art, the means forassuring the return of the shuttleto its initial or lowermost positionhave been another set of bars or fingers supported on the shuttle-movingbar in vertically-spaced relation and in position to have an end thereofengage the upper end of a shuttle whose downward movement has heeninterrupted, to push such shuttle down to initial position. Normally,such shuttle-returning iingers are arranged to have their ends disposedin slightly spaced relation to the upper ends of their respectiveshuttles and to contact a shuttle only in the event its downwardmovement is in some way interrupted.

In apparatus of the prior Aart, as described above, the shuttles aregenerally held loosely in position and frequently, due .to the vibrationof the apparatus or to the sharp movement of the shuttle-moving means,or for other reasons, they move sharply away from and tow-ard theirsupporting surfaces, as a result of which missed stitches frequentlyoccur and 1also c-onsiderable damage and abrasion of theshuttle-supporting surface or the shuttle-box is caused. These results'brin-g about inferior work and the need for shuttle-box replacementthat involves not only shuttle-box and labor costs, hut also the cost ofmachine layoi time.

It is the object of the present invention to provide improved means on ashuttledmoving bar that will positively return `a shuttle from itsupward .to its initial, lower position, and at the same time prevent itfrom bouncing away from its supporting surface on a shuttle-box, andthereby prevent missed stitches as well as undue wear on and damage toits supporting surface.

It is another object of the present invention to provide improved meansyfor returning a shuttle to its initial, lowermost position, which arecertain and positive in their operation.

llt is a further object of the present invention to pro- Vide improvedmeans for returning a shuttle to its initial, lowermost position whichare of relatively simple construction and relatively easy and economicalto install, on new as well as existing apparatus.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the shuttle-returningmeans for Schiiiii-enrbroidering apparatus of the character describedwill'become more readily apparent to those skilled -in the art from Atheembodiment thereof sho-wn in the accompanying drawings and from thedescription following. It is to he understood, however, that suchembodiment is shown by way of illustration only, to make `the principlesand practice of the invention more readily comprehensible, and withoutany intent of limiting the invention to the specific details thereinshown.

lIn the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, elevational v-iew of .the shuttlc-supportingand moving mechanism of a Schiii emlbroidering machine embodying thepresent invention, partly broken away to show structural details; yandFIG. 2 is an enlarged, sectional and partly elevational View of thesame, taken on line 2 2 of FIG. 1.

Referring now in greater detail to the embodiment of the inventionillustrated in the accompanying drawings, there is shown a more or lessstandard shuttle-supporting lbar, 10, which is xed rin position on `theapparatus in 'any well known manner not thought necessary to heillustrated, on which are supported a plurality of standardvshuttle-boxes, generally designated as` 12, which may each he se-curedin place on the ybar 10, as 'by set screws 14, passing through the bar10, and engaging ,in the base 16 of the shuttle-box. l Y

The shuttle-box 10 each comprise an upwardly-ere, tending block which istilted at an angle,l as about 15 to .the vertical, and has, on one side,a smooth supporting and `gliding surface '18 -fo-r ythe flat vface of ashuttle 20. Each shuttle-'box 10 is also provided with a conventionalneedle-groove 22 opening into the shuttle-supporting face y18 thereof. i

The means for reciprocating a shuttle 20 on a supporting face 18comprises a frame, generally designated as 24, which may be of anystandard type, or, as illustrated, comprise a pair of substantiallyflat, vertically spaced, interconnected horizontal hars, including alower horizontal bar 26 and an upper horizontal bar 28, which are spacedso yas to provide a distance equal approximately the height of a shuttle20 between their remote surfaces. The frame 24 is operatively connectedto the operating mechanism of the apparatus for movement, as a whole,along an yangle parallel to the plane of the shuttle-supporting surface,Iby means of a rod 30 secured to the frame 24, as at 32, which rod isguided in diagonal guiding means 34 secured to the shuttle-boxsupportingIbar 10. The means 'for moving each shuttle in an upward direction maybe of any conventional type and may comprise a shuttle drive pin 36 heldagainst the underside of bar 26 of frame 24, as by means of the plate38, which is secured to the underside of bar 26, as by the screw 40',passing through the plate and engaged in the har 26. Each pin 36 isarranged to engage the hottom or thicker end of a shuttle 20 to move itupwardly upon upward movement of the frame 24. The return movement ofeach shuttle is primarily effected fby gravity. However, to assure itsreturn movement against interruption, as by binding against the sides ofthe shuttlehox, a return bar or iinger 42 is provided, supported on thetop bar 28 of frame 24 and, preferahly adjustably, held in place in -anyconventional manner, as by a curved spring 44, which engages by an edgea linger 42, and is, in turn, held in place -by a screw 46 passingtherethrough and engaged in the upper bar 28 of the frame 24. The innerend 0f the shuttle-returning finger overlies the top or thin end of -ashuttle 20, in the conventional manner.

tTo maintain the shuttle 20 against the supporting surface 18 of ashuttle-box 12, as well as return it to lowermost position, l secure tothe inner end of the associated Patented Sept. 24, 1963 return finger40, which is generally spaced `slightly rfrom the top end of theshuttle, a dependent resilient member, as in the form of a leaf spring4S, the upper end of which is secured, as by soldering or welding, tothe end portion of the lfinger 4t) overlying the associated shuttle. Thespring 48 is so positioned and so curved and shaped' that its dependentend will press slightly, resiliently, against the curved face of theshuttle 20 at approximately the `center of its curvature, at aslightdistance from the top end of the shuttle. The dependent endportion of theV spring 48 ispreferably curvedly offset, las at Sti, so.that such end portion .lies flatly against the sloping shuttle surfaceat point or" contact.-

By this construction and arrangement, the shuttle is at all times incontact With its elevating pins 36 and at all times in resilientcontact'witth itsreturning iinger 4tlg so that the shuttle will not jumpeitherupwardly on its upper movement or |bounce away trom its supportingsunface either onV its upward or downward movement, ibut =Will alwaysremain in contact with its supporting surface, under slight pressure,and will be prevented from missing any stitches or abr-ading thesupporting surfaces.

This completes the description of the shuttle-moving mechanism forSchifli embroidery apparatus of the present invention. It will bereadily apparent that such mechanism, though of simple character andeconomical to install, will be highly effective for its intendedpurposes of assuring the lowering of the shuttles on the shuttleboxcsand at the same time eliminating the bouncing of the shuttles, to.thereby eliminate missed stitches and reduce resulting Wear and tear onthe shuttle-boxes and the shuttles, to thereby effect economies inoperation and maintenance ofthe apparatus.

It will also be apparent that numerous variations and -modications inthe shuttle-moving mechanism of the present invention may -be made byanyone skilled'in the art, in accordance with the principles of theinvention hereinabove set forth, and without the exercise of anyinventive ingenuity. 1 desire, therefore, to be protected for any andall such variations and -rnodicationsrthat may be made within the spiritof the invention and scope of the claims hereto appended.

I claim: l

-l. In a Schifi embroidering machine having kmeans supporting a shuttlefor diagonally vertical reciprocating movement and means moving ashuttle on said supporting means including a shuttle `driving pinengaging fthe bottom of a shuttle and means moving said driving pin in adiagonally vertical direction, shuttle returning rerngag'ingsaid shuttlecomprises a spring element dependently securedA to said rod.

3. The shuttle returning means of claim 1, wherein said elementcomprises a rod and said resilient memlber engaging said Shuttlecomprises a leaf spring secured` to said rod by one end 4thereof withthev other end thereof engaging against the outer surface of saidshuttle at substantially the center of the circumferential curvaturethereof.

4. The shuttle returning means of claim '5,7 wherein said lea-f springis formed with an offset yfree end shaped` to lie against the sunfaceofsaid shuttle at point of contact.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,082,456 Zahn Dec. 23, 1913l `1,347,232 Saurer July 20, 19,120,

Sieber Nov. 23, 1926

1. IN A SCHIFFLI EMBROIDERING MACHINE HAVING MEANS SUPPORTING A SHUTTLEFOR DIAGONALLY VERTICAL RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT AND MEANS MOVING ASHUTTLE ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS INCLUDING A SHUTTLE DRIVING PINENGAGING THE BOTTOM OF A SHUTTLE AND MEANS MOVING SAID DRIVING PIN IN ADIAGONALLY VERTICAL DIRECTION, SHUTTLE RETURNING MEANS COMPRISING ANELEMENT MOVABLE WITH SAID DRIVING PIN AND EXTENDING OVER THE TOP OF ASHUTTLE SUPPORTED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND VERTICALLY SPACED FROMSAID SHUTTLE TOP AND A RESILIENT MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID ELEMENTENGAGING THE OUTER FACE OF SAID SHUTTLE ADJACENT ITS TOP END.